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OT: Marbury on Vick

Up until today, I would not have put this on the Pacers thread. But while driving today I heard Stephon Marbury on the radio defending Michael Vick and stupidly questioning why hunters and packing houses aren't held in the same contempt. This comes on the heals of Falcons Ray Buchanan pretty much parroting the same argument.

Question #1 - are these people just stupid? I can't imagine an agent or PR person not telling their client to stay completely away from this topic. The statements made by these two (and there have been others before them) completely baffle me considering the overwhelming public sentiment on the issue.

Question #2 - Why are the comments coming only from black athletes? Are white athletes (Michelle Tafoya's question to Manning aside) not being asked the question or are they just not commenting?

If I were one of the above athletes agents I would have had a freaking heart attack.

The best exercise of the human heart is reaching down and picking someone else up.

Re: OT: Marbury on Vick

marbury comparing it to hunting and meat packing is pretty stupid. idk about all of the athletes they've interviewed. it seems that manning is the only one that i heard an actual comment from. most opinions have come from reporters and anylists that i've seen (but, i'm so tired of the story i stopped paying alot of attention a while ago.)

Because when you are left with no rational means to defend the abhorrent actions of friend or acqaintance, you fall back to the last resort, playing the race card (if available). When you do that, all of the cameras of course show up.

Maybe you aren't even iNTENDING to play the race card, as least blatantly. The reporter is seeking you out to make a favorable comment, and because of your skin color, and it makes news since the race card is certainly implied.

Re: OT: Marbury on Vick

Dog fighting serves no purpose. At least meat packing feeds people. And hunting, well, it could be pretty savage and useless unless the hunters are using the meat/hide/bones, which many of them do. Meat packing is a terrible comparison, but hunting (a predominantly white sport, mind you), while still a flawed comparison, is not that far off. Is there a double standard? Maybe a slight one.

Re: OT: Marbury on Vick

I am not a hunter. I have never hunted, never been invited to hunt, will never go hunting if I am. I don't own a gun and have no desire to use one, although I might make Starbury an exception. j/k
or am I?
Hunting is a sport. I don't care to engage in it, but I'll try to explain from a non-hunter's standpoint why dog fighting and hunting are not even remotely related.

I sometimes watch hunting shows and it always flabbergasts me after the kill to hear something like, "Wow look at that bird." or "What a rack!" There is appreciation for the animal just killed and in most cases the kill is instantaneous, serves conservation, and is regulated. It always seems to me that appreciation should be extended to not killing them, but I'll never win that argument with a hunter I guess.

I have never heard of a hunter hanging a deer until it was dead, or drowning a pheasant, or making two ducks battle it out until one of them was dead. Oh, and let's not forget the wagering. Somebody try to explain to me the "sport" in this. Don't bother, it can't be done. This is way the hell out there past **** (kock) fighting and bull fighting. Sometimes family pets are stolen for training purposes; others are bred to compete under deplorable conditions.

Re: OT: Marbury on Vick

Because when you are left with no rational means to defend the abhorrent actions of friend or acqaintance, you fall back to the last resort, playing the race card (if available). When you do that, all of the cameras of course show up.

Maybe you aren't even iNTENDING to play the race card, as least blatantly. The reporter is seeking you out to make a favorable comment, and because of your skin color, and it makes news since the race card is certainly implied.

I try to stay out of any race-related issues, because they're such a hot button, but this is so true. It absolutely sickens me when people unjustifiably use the "race card" to justify acting like an idiot/thug. It almost seems like an immediate reaction these days.

Skip Bayless:

"Derek Fisher will prove to be a much better NBA head coach than Steve Kerr."

"The Houston Texans will forever regret it if they do not take Johnny Manziel with the No. 1 overall pick. He will haunt them."

Re: OT: Marbury on Vick

Hunting doesn't seem to be a sport to me. I mean, how does the animal win, by not getting shot? Personally, I don't want to play that game. But in all honesty, I was just playing the devil's advocate. Two of my uncles hunt regularly, and I don't really have a problem with it. They cook the meat (usually venison) and sometimes use the hide - they haven't really discovered any good uses for the bones. Whereas what Vick is accused of is sadistic. I would never defend dog fighting, but I could see where Marbury sees inequity here. He sees a famous black athlete who more or less just got his white coach fired gettin' taken down by the feds for a crime that obviously is nothing new - I mean, he didn't just start dog-fighting; someone must have known about it before now. If Vick is guilty, he's guilty, and it's a crime, no doubt. But it doesn't surprise me that Marbury has his reservations about the whole ordeal, rightfully or wrongfully.

Re: OT: Marbury on Vick

I'd be interested to see how the rest of the world is reacting to this story. I tend to think what Vick did would have been more acceptable anywhere else in the world.

Well, I heard or saw it once in the news. Not much of a big deal at all, not because of the dog fight, more because of the person involved. If it would have been a noname, germans would have never gotten the news. So its Vick, still almost nobody knows him, like propably most countries where Football ain't that much of a deal! If it would happen to a local sports person or famous dude, he'd be in hells kitchen too.
Sum up: No news about this one in a lot other countries!

Re: OT: Marbury on Vick

Gee, I wonder about those geyhounds they use in Florida for racing. Does't seem to be much difference IMO. I'm sure those people that started the Greyhound Rescue feel about like those adamantly against dogfighting (including yours truely). But because Florid makesso much money off dog racing/wagering the cruelty displayed against the losers was largely overlooked for years. It is only recently that they have done anything to stop the treatment.

I abhor animal cruelty. And I'm a hunter.
I'd like to suggest reading "Beyond Fair Chase"...it is a small book on ethical hunting.

If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around..

Re: OT: Marbury on Vick

I appreciate the comments posted but aren't any of you just totally floored that an athlete would even comment on this issue? Particularly comments more or less defending Vick. Seems like professional suicide to me.

The best exercise of the human heart is reaching down and picking someone else up.

Re: OT: Marbury on Vick

I appreciate the comments posted but aren't any of you just totally floored that an athlete would even comment on this issue? Particularly comments more or less defending Vick. Seems like professional suicide to me.

I am not, I'd like them to comment on it, not everytime, but if they are asked, then I want them to answer, BUT of course not in a defending way. They should say what it is, just pure crap. Other than that, they really need to shut up!

Re: OT: Marbury on Vick

Well it is no news here, heck the ODI's have started and India just won the test series; a ref is suspended for giving a penalty to Chelsea that wasn't a penalty and according to the tabloid the guy's company did the pavement around the house of Chelsea's coach.

On top of that there is always a some other "news"

And as far as hunting goes, the cityfolks and the countryfolks are battling each other, where the city wants them to stop the foxhunt and the country believes it is a right and need.

I can understand the need, but then shoot the bloody fox, instead of having a tea party on horseback while you have a pack of bassets chasing the animal and IF they find it (the dogs), the dogs rip it apart (the fox).

Don't think any of them can complain about dog-fighting.

In other news, all breeds like a pitbull has to wear a muzzle here, shrug...

So Long And Thanks For All The Fish.

If you've done 6 impossible things today?
Then why not have Breakfast at Milliways!

Re: OT: Marbury on Vick

I appreciate the comments posted but aren't any of you just totally floored that an athlete would even comment on this issue? Particularly comments more or less defending Vick. Seems like professional suicide to me.

Not surprised at all. It was Starbury for goodness sakes. Vick does not have a monopoly on stupidity in professional sports.

BTW, there are some things Starbury does that are quite positive...and I don't expect perfection from the man. However, he is clearly not one of the brightest to lace'em up. Hence his comments on the subject.

Re: OT: Marbury on Vick

But Geezer it's not dog racing (or horse racing for that matter) that's the issue, it's how the animal is treated in order to get results, or after the fact.

If a dog is found to be beaten or tortured for the sake of racing the person involved is going to catch just as much heat. Saying "it goes on and is covered up because of the money" isn't an excuse, it's the same reason Vick was able to get away with his setup for as long as he was. That confuses two separate issues, just as mixing hunting with abusive hunters would cloud that issue.

Racing can be done in a way that is non-abusive, fighting cannot. Hunting has very legit reasons for existing, one that actually helps maintain the overall health of the natural cycle. Often hunting might actually be countering the effects of humans on nature (creating a balance shift that leads to overpopulation).

There are hunting rules that are also directly setup to avoid cruelty or abusive techniques, such as using feeders or certain types of traps.